JS, History, 1838–1856, vol. E-1, created 20 Aug. 1855–5 Apr. 1856; handwriting of Robert L. Campbell, , and Jonathan Grimshaw; 392 pages, plus 11 pages of addenda; CHL. This is the fifth volume of a six-volume manuscript history of the church. This fifth volume covers the period from 1 July 1843 to 30 Apr. 1844; the remaining five volumes, labeled A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, and F-1, continue through 8 Aug. 1844.
Historical Introduction
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1, constitutes the fifth of six volumes documenting the life of Joseph Smith and the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The series is also known as the Manuscript History of the Church and was originally published serially from 1842 to 1846 and 1851 to 1858 as the “History of Joseph Smith” in the Times and Seasons and Deseret News. This volume contains JS’s history from 1 July 1843 to 30 April 1844, and it was compiled in Utah Territory in the mid-1850s.
The material recorded in volume E-1 was initially compiled under the direction of church historian , who was JS’s cousin. Smith collaborated with in collecting material for the history and creating a set of draft notes that Smith dictated to Bullock and other clerks.
Robert L. Campbell, a recently returned missionary and member of the Historian’s Office staff, transcribed ’s notes into the volume along with the text of designated documents (such as letters and meeting minutes). The Church Historian’s Office journal entry for 2 May 1855 pinpoints the beginning of his work: “R. L. C. on Book D forenoon, afternoon began book E.” Campbell’s work on the volume apparently concluded on 5 April 1856; entries in the Historian’s Office journal indicate that he then moved on to other assignments while another clerk, Jonathan Grimshaw, began work on volume F-1, the last manuscript in the series. (Historian’s Office, Journal, 2 May 1855; 5 and 9 Apr. 1856.)
Volume E-1 contains 391 pages of primary text and 11 pages of addenda. The initial entry on page 1637 is a continuation of the 1 July 1843 entry that closed volume D-1. The final entry in volume E-1 is for 30 April 1844.
The 391 pages of volume E-1 document a crucial period of JS’s life and the history of the church. Important events recorded here include
• An account of JS’s 2 July 1843 meeting with several Pottawatamie chiefs.
• JS’s 4 July 1843 address regarding his recent arrest, the Legion, and Mormon voting practices.
• JS’s 12 July 1843 dictation of a revelation regarding eternal marriage, including the plurality of wives, in the presence of and .
• The 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment of and revocation of his priesthood license.
• Dispatch of the first missionaries to the Pacific Islands on 20 September 1843, led by .
• JS’s 1 October 1843 announcement of ’s appointment to a mission to Russia.
• Minutes of a 6–9 October 1843 general conference inserted under the date of 9 October at which pled his case in regard to his 13 August 1843 disfellowshipment and was permitted to continue as counselor in the First Presidency.
• Text of JS’s appeal to the Green Mountain Boys of , inserted under the date of 29 November 1843.
• A 20 January 1844 entry that includes a poem by commemorating the presentation of two copies of the Book of Mormon to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by .
• JS’s nomination on 29 January 1844 as an independent candidate for the presidency of the .
<December 13> inhuman traffic; but what would those nations think, if they were told the fact, that in , Republican , the boasted cradle of liberty, and land of freedom, that those dealers in human flesh and blood, Negro dealers and drivers, are allowed with impunity to steal white men, and those sons of liberty can obtain no redress. Great God, has it come to this, that free born American citizens must be kidnapped by Negro drivers! What are our authorities doing? Why are not these wretches brought to justice? We have heard that one or two of the citizens of have been engaged in assisting these wretches. We shall try to find out who they are, and their whereabouts, and make them known, and then if they are not brought to condign punishment, we shall say that justice has fled from .”
arrived in , having made his escape from his kidnappers in .
I received the following milk and water letter from .
“ Decer. 12. 1843. Genl. Joseph Smith. Sir, I have received your favor of the 6th. instant together with the proceedings of a public meeting of the citizens of on the subject of the late kidnapping by the people of and others; of two citizens of this .
You request to know if any portion of the Legion shall be called out. My answer is no. The Militia cannot be called out except in the cases specified by me in my letter to dated in the month of August last; in which I took the ground that the Militia can only be called out to repel an invasion, suppress an insurrection, or on some extreme emergency; and not to suppress, prevent, or punish individual crimes. I still am of opinion that the ground assumed by [HC 6:113] me on that occasion is the true one. The prevention and punishment of individual offences have been confided by the Constitution and laws of this , to the judicial power and not to the executive.
If a citizen of the has been kidnapped, or if property has been stolen from this and carried to the State of those who have done either are guilty of an indictable offence. But the constitution and the laws have provided no means whereby either the person or property taken away, can be returned except by an appeal to the laws of . The Governor has no legal right to demand the return of either The only power I would have, would be, simply this; If any of the guilty persons should be charged with larceny or kidnapping by indictment or affidavit duly certified, and with having fled to then I would have the power and it would become my duty to make a demand upon the Governor of for the surrender of the fugitives to be tried by the Courts of this . I am fully satisfied that in ordinary cases this is all the power I would possess. It would be simply a power to be exercised in aid of the Judicial power. Any other powers to be exercised by the Governor would be to make him a dictator and a despot. It is true that an extraordinary case might arise in which the inhabitants of one State might rise in warlike and hostile array against those of another. In which case a state of war would exist and then only could I interfere.
I would advise your citizens to be strictly peaceable towards the people of . You ought to be aware that in every country individuals are liable to be [p. 1803]